Buffalo, NY (WBEN) - Throughout New York State, Antibody testing that could determine whether or not a person had COVID-19 in the past will begin to be given to essential workers and those most likely to have been exposed.
The testing is an important factor in when Western New York may be able to get back to some degree of normal.
“This is a new virus that we’re still learning a bit on, but if we follow history… we believe that that second antibody, if there’s presence of that, that we have immunity to (COVID-19),” said Dr. Joseph Chow, Medical Director at WNY Immediate Care. “That’s based upon history, however with this virus, because it’s new, it’s tough to say that’s the absolute.”
Dr. Chow said that amongst physicians, they believe there is anecdotal evidence that some in Western New York may have had the virus even before the outbreak was believed to have begun.
New York State is hoping to administer 3,000 antibody tests in the first wave of testing. In Western New York, antibody testing was administered to workers at two area Wegmans stores.
“We’re trying to identify people who have been exposed,” said Lt. Governor Kathy Hochul to WBEN. “It’s a major widespread effort. Nothing like this has ever been done.”
As the state looks to launch antibody testing, they are at the same time still trying to expand traditional Coronavirus testing capacity.
After being prodded to by New York and other states to invoke the Defense Production Act, President Trump announced Sunday he would be doing that to compel Maine-based Puritan Medical Products to make swabs used in testing.
“We’ve had a shortage of swabs,” Hochul said. “We anticipate when we get more testing equipment from the federal government, we’ll be able to open up testing.”
Hochul could not say if the state would have enough of both kinds of testing within the next month to begin to reopen some industries, but noted that reopening is also dependent on the success of continued social distancing efforts.